HPC Fire · Maintenance
Clean Your HPC Flame Sensor (fixes the #1 cause of Code 1)
The flame-sensor tip picks up soot and carbon from every burn. Enough buildup and the sensor can't "see" the flame — HPC's system reads that as Ignition Failure (Code 1) and shuts the gas off. 90 seconds with a soft brush typically fixes it.
By Ash · Updated November 10, 2026
What you need
- Soft-bristle brush (nylon or brass — never wire)
- Soft cloth
- Flashlight
Step by step
Locate the flame sensor
The flame sensor sits in the pilot area with the tip positioned so a clean pilot flame envelops roughly 3/8" of its length. On most HPC units you can see it by removing the decorative media from above the burner.
Inspect the tip
A clean flame sensor tip is bright metal. Soot buildup looks like a flat black coating — that's what's killing the signal. If there's any orange corrosion, you may have a water-intrusion issue upstream (SERV PRO).
Brush gently
Use a soft-bristle brush (nylon or soft brass). Wipe off the black coating with short, light strokes. Never use steel wool or a wire brush — they scratch the sensor surface and change its thermal response.
Verify and reassemble
Confirm the sensor tip is clean metal. Reposition if you accidentally bumped it — the tip needs to be 3/8" of its length in the pilot flame for correct sensing. Re-load lava rock + decorative media per the install guide, restore gas and power, test-fire.
Common mistakes
- Bending the sensor copper tubing while brushing. The copper tube running from the sensor back to the valve box is delicate. A kink in that tube is Code 3 (Thermocouple Error) — you just created a bigger problem (SERV PRO fix).
Hands-on tips
- Clean the flame sensor at the start of every season (spring and fall at minimum).
- If Code 1 returns within a week after cleaning, there's a different root cause — likely low gas pressure or a pilot orifice issue (SERV PRO).
Questions people ask
How often should I clean the flame sensor?
Once per season for occasional use; every 2-3 months for daily use. Soot builds fast if you're burning dirty natural gas or if the air-mix fixture is wrong for your fuel.
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